This collection of books highlights the many ways young people navigate school, friendship, challenges, and self-discovery. From Emily’s cupcake adventures and Mindy Kim’s creative snack business to Frankie Sparks’ inventive ideas for a class pet, readers see how kids use teamwork, creativity, and persistence to solve problems. Stories like Very Bad at Math and Dive […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum
American Laoshī: Lessons in Patience, Power, and a Boy Named Jerry
Arrival in Beijing: Teaching Without a Map Day one in China proved to be tougher than I expected. Commissioned to teach a class of first-graders English in the capital city, Beijing, I planned my teaching methods based on my years of experience in America. I created lessons “flawlessly” devoted to teaching Chinese kids English, even […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Climate Literacy: A Powerful New Story
Everywhere I look, I hear about it. See it. Feel it. Experience it. For decades now, I have not been able to escape it for a single day. I don’t necessarily want to escape it; it’s too important to do that. Although it’s such a heart-heavy issue for me that I sometimes wish I could […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Federal Funding is Non-Negotiable: What educators said about withholding dollars
This summer, when the Trump administration withheld billions of dollars in federal funding from schools, education advocates and state officials sounded the alarm. These funds, intended to support summer and after-school programs for migrant students, English learners, and underserved communities, have yet to be distributed, despite being authorized in a continuing resolution passed in March […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Trump adminstration ends protections for English Language Learners
Under the directive of President Donald J. Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon, the U.S. Department of Education has ended federal guidelines set in 2015 on how to serve English Language Learners. These shifts are expected to impact more than 5.3 million English learners in the U.S. K-12 public education system, as well as the schools […]
Posted inCulturally Responsive Teaching
Teachers have major reservations about restorative justice. Let’s Dispel 3 Myths
Tanya* arrived late to class and told me that Chris* pushed her into the bushes because he thought it was funny. Although I asked Chris about this in a calm and non-accusatory tone, he became confrontational, yelling and dropping F-bombs. This incident occurred a couple of weeks into the school year, so I didn’t know […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
Trump Administration orders universities to disclose detailed admissions data on race and sex
On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum requiring universities to collect detailed admissions data to prove they are not shaping student bodies along racial lines, according to the White House. The order marks the administration’s latest step in dismantling affirmative action policies in higher education. The directive, carried out by U.S. Secretary of Education […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education
From school corridors to classrooms: rethinking parental involvement in early literacy
As both an educator and a parent navigating two distinct school environments – first as a volunteer instructor in South Bend, Indiana, and later as a parent at Oak Street Elementary in Falls Church, Virginia – I’ve come to recognize that parental involvement in early literacy is as nuanced as it is essential. From informal […]